Ignition device



March 20, 1962 A. A. RICHARDSON 3,026,451

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United States Patent 3,026,451 IGNITEON DEVICE Arthur A. Richardson, 1 Shaw Ave., Providence, RI. Filed Jan. 23, 1960, Ser. No. 5,299 3 Claims. (Cl. 315172) This invention relates to an ignition device to which may be Wired into the standard automotive and the like ignition system and more particularly to a device which will increase the spark given to any one plug during the ignition cycle.

It is an object of the invention to provide a device which will increase the ability of an internal combustion engine to ignite.

Another object of the invention is to provide a plurality of electrical sparks near the top of a compression stroke of an internal combustion engine.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a relatively simple device which will operate on both six and twelve volt ignition systems without having any modifications made therein to provide the result of a multiple spark.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, as will be more fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a wiring diagram of an automotive ignition system in which the device of the invention has been inserted;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of the device in its case; and

FIGURE 3 is another modified circuit for the device of the invention.

FIGURE 4 is another modified circuit for the device of the invention.

The most common form of ignition system in use today is the high-tension coil and battery system. In this particular system, a high-tension coil designated on the drawing is made up of a primary and a secondary winding. The primary winding 11 is supplied with current from a battery 13, one side of the battery being connected to the coil through the usual ignition switch 14 and the other side of the battery being connected to the coil 11 through a set of breaker points 15. With the breaker points 15 closed, it will be apparent that current is allowed to flow through the primary coil 11. At the proper moment in the ignition cycle, the points 15 are opened by a cam 16 and the current how will stop. When the current flow is stopped by the opening of the points 15, the magnetic field collapses, and the resulting rapid motion of the magnetic lines of force created around the coils 11 and 12 generates a high voltage in the secondary coil 12 which is then led to a spark plug through the usual distributor or rotary switch (not shown) which in turn routes the voltage to the proper spark plug. As is well known in the art, a capacitor 17 is provided which is connected directly across the points 15 and which efiectively absorbs current which would otherwise are across the points 15.

Also shown in the drawing is an electric starting motor 29 which is used to supply torque to the internal combustion engine to aid in the starting process. The starting motor is momentarily connected across the battery 13 through a switch device 21 which may be termed a starting switch. It will be understood, of course, that in practice the starting switch 21 is normally supplemented by a starting solenoid which is generally mounted directly on the starting motor to keep short leads between the battery and the starting motor due to the high current that is drawn. Thus, from a remote station some distance away, the switch 21 may be closed.

In the block enclosed by dotted lines, there is shown the device of the invention which consists of a vibrator generally designated 30, a current limiting device 31, a resistor 36 and a battery 37. The vibrator 30 is made up of a coil 32, a vibrating reed 33, and a pair of contact points 34 and 35. As will be known to those skilled in the art, the reed 33 is mounted spaced from the points 34, 35 in a neutral position and in the magnetic field of the coil 32 50 that it may be made to vibrate alternately between the contact points 34 and 35, thus in efiect alternately making and breaking said contacts. In the arrangement illustrated in FIGURE 1, I connect this coil 32 through the current limiting device 31, which in effect is a negative resistance device herein shown as a lamp bulb, to one terminal of the starting motor 20 and I connect the other lead of the coil 32 to the reed 33. Reed 33 is in turn connected to the other lead of the starting motor (ground) and contact 34 is connected through a low ohmic resistance 36 and battery 37 to the breaker points 15 and the primary of coil 10. Thus the vibrator device 30 will not be energized until the starting motor is energized. Now when the starting switch 21 is closed, the vibrator will go into action and alternately make and break the contacts 34, 35. Thus, if the coil of the vibrator 32 is connected across a source of voltage such as the battery 13, the reed 33 will be first pulled toward contact 35 which shorts the coil 32, the reed being released and springing to close against contact 35 which closes circuit in parallel with points 15. The spring mounting of the reed accomplishes this result and magnetic force pulls it back into contact with contact 35 and the cycle repeats at a frequency of something on the order of cycles per second.

If the breaker points 15 are closed and the starting switch 21 is then closed thereby energizing the vibrator 38, there will in efiect be a short circuit across the battery 13. To prevent this, resistance 36 of low ohmic value, below 5 ohms, is inserted in the series circuit through vibrator 39. Assuming now that the vibrator is operating, there will be a plurality of magnetic field collapses once the breaker points close which will give a plurality of high voltage generations of rather rapid succession, the rapidity, of course, depending upon the frequency with which the reed 33 vibrates. Accordingly, instead of a single field collapse upon opening of breaker i5 and the spark plug receivin just one spark per breaker point break, there will be received at that spark plug a plurality of sparks in rapid succession. hus with the reed 33 alternately connecting and disconnecting the primary of the ignition coil across the battery 13 thru contact 34, the vibrator acts like a high frequency breaker. Accordingly, it will be apparent that should there be any fouling of the spark plugs or moisture at the points of the plug, the rapidity of the sparks being impressed thereon will rapidly break down this condition and will, of course, aid in the ignition of the compressed gas in the cylinder, thus practically insuring ignition on every con pression stroke.

Battery 37 has been inserted in the circuit in a voltage aiding position with respect to primary winding 11. In this position a higher primary voltage and consequent higher secondary voltage will result. This is particularly eifective since under severe starting conditions primary battery voltage drops about 2 volts. To this end battery 37 has been found useful and may be on the order of 1.5 volts which will insure full primary voltage being applied to primary winding 11.

It might here be pointed out that the current limiting device 31 has been inserted in the circuit more from a protective measure standpoint than from any other. As with any electrical device, the device is usually designed to operate at a certain current rating. To this end, therefore, the current limiting device 31 limits the current in the coil 32 of the vibrator to the proper level or at least within limits thereof. The unit enclosed in dotted lines maybe. connected either to 6- or 12-volt starting systems with no danger of burning out ot the coil 32 of the vibrator 30 inasmuch as the current limiting device 31 is of the negative resistance variety in which with higher currents more resistance is inserted in the circuit, thus efiectively lowering the output current of the device.

In FIGURE 3, there is shown a modification of the device of the invention which modification utilizes the vibrator 30 with its actuating coil 32, contacts 34, 35 and vibrating reed 33. In this case, however, a low ohmic resistance 36, on the order of less than five ohms and preferably on the order of one or two ohms, is inserted in the vibrating reed leg and in this position will prevent any short circuits from occurring if perchance a circuit is made through the vibrator contacts when the breaker points are closed. Additionally, in this position resistance 36 serves to some degree as a current limiting device since it is also in series with the coil 32 of the vibrator and permits the vibrator to operate on a number of voltages quite successfully. In this case as in the case of the embodiment of FIGURE 1, the same results are secured in the operation thereof with the eX- ception that there is no battery boost present but in all other respects the device is identical in operation.

In FIGURE 4 there is shown a still further modification of the device of the invention, which modification utilizes a vibrator 30' that has an actuating coil 32', contacts 34', 35' and a, vibrating reed 33'. In this case, however, the vibrator 30 is shown as embodying a different circuit than that shown in connection with the embodiments of FIGURES 1 and 3. To this end, the reed 33. is normally engaged with the contact 35 and is pulled away therefrom when coil 32 is energized, the

spring action of reed 33 reclosing the circuit. With this type of a vibrator, assuming that the coil 32 is defined for a mid-voltage rangerof say 9 volts, the device will operate on both 6 and 12 volt battery ignition sys terns. To prevent short circuits from occurring and also in an effort to reduce the current output of the device to i a lower level, a resistor 39 is inserted in series with contact 34', which resistance 39 should be of a low ohmic value on the order of less than five ohms and preferably in the range of one to two ohms. Basically, the resistance 3 functions in the same fashion as resistance 36 functions in the previous embodiment.

I claim:

1. In a high tension coil breaker point and battery system for an internal combustion engine having a starting motor and switch therefor in which the primary of the high tension coil, the breaker points, and the battery are connected in series, a vibratory contact device, the output of said device being in parallel with said breaking points, the vibratory contact device having a coil which is connected on the load side of a starting switch and to the electrical return of the battery system so that the vibratory contact device is actuated only upon the closing of the starting switch, a resistance in series with said device, said device having a frequency of oscillation rate greater than cycles per second.

2. In a high tension coil breaker point and battery ignition system in which the primary of the high tension coil, the breaker points and the battery are connected in series, a vibratory contact device having an actuating coil and a set of contact points, said actuating coil connected in parallel with a starting device so that said vibratory contact device is actuated only upon the closing of a starting switch, the contact points of the vibratory device being in parallel with the breaker points, a battery connected in series with said contact points and said primary in boosting relationship, said vibratory contact device having a frequency of oscillation greater than 50 cycles per second.

3. A device as in claim 2 wherein a resistance is inserted in series with the actuating coil of said vibratory device.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 858,928 Varley July 2, 1907 2,412,540 Sellaro Dec. 10, 1946 2,554,720 Sebesta May 29, 1951 

